Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) / Guide
All Star Baseball 2003 for Playstation 2
ver 0.6
mcnabb_05@hotmail.com
March 12, 2002
Sections:
1. Introduction
2. Version Info
3. Controls
a. menu naviagtion
b. base control basics
c. post-pitch & mid-windup
d. fielding
e. batting & base running
f. pitch / location guess
4. Getting Started (Main Menu)
a. game modes
b. pausing the game
5. Expansion Mode / Franchise Mode
a. expansion strategy
b. off season
6. Special Features
a. create a player
b. complete player card list
7. Hints And Tips
8. Offensive Strategy
a. base running
9. Defensive Strategy
a. fielding
10. Extra Features
a. hanging K's
11. Review
12. Codes and Secrets
13. F.A.Q.
14. The Secret To "GMing" (Kind Of)
15. Credits/Contact/Legal
16. Last Word
17. Sites This FAQ Is On
===============================
*** SECTION 1: Introduction ***
===============================
Well, it's finally out... All Star Baseball 2003. A lot of us played 2002 and
loved it, others steered clear of it because they heard about the glitches,
errors, and other horrible AI things. Well, all that and more has been fixed,
and it looks like Acclaim has hit the nail on the head and delivered a game
that baseball fans of any seriousness will enjoy. Here is the intro from the
manual:
Baseball fans, welcome to All-Star Baseball 2003. This year we've got a
terrific line up of features that make this our best game ever. There's a
great Trivia game, where you can test your baseball knowledge, and the new
Player Cards recreates the fun and excitement of trading baseball cards. What
else is new? You can create an expansion club, complete with logo and choose
what city, stadium and league they'll play in. And there's a fun new Franchise
feature that lets you select a favorite team and play with them over several
seasons, seeing their fortunes and players change over time. Of course, we
still have plenty of the great on-field action you've come to expect, like the
Home Run Derby, Season and Playoff modes, and tons of off the field management
input, too, including creating your own players. You've got all the tools it
takes to make a run at the World Series and have a great time doing it! See you
in the post season!
-Derek Jeter
As you can read from that, Acclaim has a lot in store for All-Star 2003.
===============================
*** Section 2: Version Info ***
===============================
-Version 0.1 Started on March 4, 2002. This is my first FAQ, so any suggetions
email me at mcnabb_05@hotmail.com.
-Version 0.2- Added complete player card checklist.
-Version 0.3- Added some more features, put a link to Inks71 pitching guide
(under pitching section) Added some more info to create a player, added tip to
expansion mode.
-Version 0.4- Minor updates, plus filled in Create-A-Player stants.
-Version 0.5- Various new info, and expanded where this faq can be found.
-Version 0.6- Started the extra section about finding the K's
===========================
*** Section 3: Controls ***
===========================
If you are familar with All-Star Baseball 2002, the controls in this game are
the same as last year, and are pretty easy to navigate.
Menu Navigation
X..........Confirm / Next Screen
O..........Cancel / Previous Screen
Triangle...Show Help Menu
Square.....Not Used
Select.....Not Used
Start......Start / Pause Game
D-PAD......Highlight Option (Up/Down) / Toggle Option (Left/Right)
R1, R2, L1, L2... Not Used
R3.........Highlight / Toggle Options
L3.........Not Used
Base Control Basics
-=At Bat=-
When base running, each base matches a direction on the DIRECTIONAL BUTTONS.
To move a base runner to or from a base, you press the proper control and the
direction of the base the runner currently OCCUPIES.
Down.......Home
Right......1st Base
Up.........2nd Base
Left.......3rd Base
-=In The Field=-
When fielding, each action (symbol) button matches a current or future throw to
a base. These are the base equivalents when fielding:
X..........Home
O..........1st Base
Triangle...2nd Base
Square.....3rd Base
-=Pitch Select=-
Each hurler's pitch type types appear on-screen next to a control graphics.
Pitch types vary with each pitcher, as do controls. For example, the Triangle
Button might be a slider for on pitcher, or a knuckleball for a different
player who doesn't throw a slider.
Locating pitches: Press the LEFT ANALOG STIC or the DIRECTIONAL BUTTONS
to move the pitch target to the desired location.
Positioning Fielders: Pressing the L1 BUTTON will cycle through INFIELD
positioning options:
1. Normal
2. In - all infielders play on the edge of the infield grass.
3. Deep - all infielders back up to the edge of the outfield grass.
4. Corners - 3B & 1B play in to anticipate a bunt.
5. Lines - 3B & 1B play closer to the foul lines to prevent extra base hits.
6. DP Depth - SS & 2B play a few steps deeper and closer to second base,
putting
them in better positions for turning double plays.
7. Shade L - all IF move slightly to the third base side.
8. Shade R - all IF move slightly to the first base side.
9. Shift L - more dramatic shift toward third base.
10. Shift R - more dramatic shift toward first base.
Positioning Fielders: Pressing the L2 BUTTON will cycle through OUTFIELD
positioning options:
1. Normal
2. Normal Left - Outfielders shade toward left field.
3. Normal Right - Outfielders shade toward right field.
4. Deep - Outfielders play a few steps back toward the fences.
5. Deep Left - Outfielders play a few steps back toward the fences and move
a few steps toward the LF line.
6. Deep Right - Outfielders play a few steps back toward the fences and move
a few steps toward the RF line.
7. Shallow - Outfielders play a few steps in.
8. Shallow Left - Shift is more extreme. All OF's move. RF moves toward RCF
giving
up his line, CF moves 4-5 steps into LCF, LF moves 3-4 steps
toward the line
9. Shallow Right - Outfielders play a few steps in and move a few steps toward
the RF line.
X..........Select Pitch Type
O..........Select Pitch Type (If Applicable)
Triangle...Select Pitch Type (If Applicable)
Square.....Select Pitch Type (If Applicable)
DPAD.......Move Pitch Target
R1.........Select Pitch Type (If Applicable)
R2.........Not Used
R3.........Pitch Options Menu (Intentional Walks, Hit Chart, Hot-Cold, Pitch
History
L1.........Cycle Infield Defensive Positioning Menu
L2.........Cycle Outfield Defensive Positioning Menu
L3.........Move Pitch Target
-=Post-Pitch Select=-
After selecting your pitch type, you can still change the pitch location. In
addition, you can either throw the pitch or try a pick off throw to any base
but home.
X..........Throw Pitch
O..........Pick Off To First
Triangle...Pick Off To Second
Square.....Pick Off To Third
DPAD.......Move Pitch Target
R1.........Activate Base Runner Windows (All-Star Mode)
R2.........Brush Back Pitch
R3.........Move Pitch Target
L1.........Activate Base Runner Windows (All-Star Mode)
L2.........Pitch Out
L3.........Not Used
Hold L3 BUTTON while pressing the X BUTTON to use the slide step delivery.
-=Mid-Windup=-
X..........Not Used
O..........Pick Off To 1st For Left-Handers (During Delivery)
Triangle...Not Used
Square.....Pick Off To 3rd For Right-Handers (During Delivery)
DPAD.......Move Pitch Target
R1.........Not Used
R2.........Not Used
R3.........Move Pitch Target
L1.........Not Used
L2.........Not Used
L3.........Not Used
-=Fielding=-
Before Ball Is Fielded
The Spot where a fly ball will land is indicated by a red circle highlight.
The currently controlled fielder is indicated by a blue circle highlight (if
multiple players are controlling outfielders, there is a different highlight
color for each player.) If a fielder isn't on screen at any given time, a red
arrow indicates the direction of the ball.
To tell that fielder where to throw the ball before he fields it (so he'll
immediately throw to that location once he fields the ball), press the
associated control (see below).
X..........Future Throw To Home
O..........Future Throw To 1st
Triangle...Future Throw To 2nd
Square.....Future Throw To 3rd
DPAD.......Move Highlighted Fielder
R1.........Dive / Jump / Scale Wall
R2.........Dive / Jump / Scale Wall
R3.........Not Used
L1.........Future Throw To Cut-Off or Relay Man
L2.........Switch Control To Player Nearest Ball
L3.........Move Highlighted Fielder
After Ball Is Fielded
X..........Throw To Home
O..........Throw To 1st
Triangle...Throw To 2nd
Square.....Throw To 3rd
DPAD.......Move Player
R1.........Not Used
R2.........Not Used
R3.........Not Used
L1.........Throw To Relay Man
L2.........Switch Fielder
L3.........Not Used
-=Batting & Base Running=-
Pre-Pitch Select
Control...................Action
Directional Buttons.......Move Batting Cursor/ While Triangle is held, press
base direction to steal.
Left Analog Stick.........Move Batting Cursor
Right Analog Stick........Tilt Batting Cursor
Square Button.............Toggle Contact / Power Icon
Triangle Button...........Steal Signal (+ DIRECTIONAL BUTTON in current base
direction)
X Button..................Practice Swing
O Button..................Show Sacrafice Bunt
L1 Button.................Increase all runners' leads.
L2 Button.................Initiate pitch / location guess
R1 Button.................Decrease all runners' leads.
Stealing Bases
To steal a base, hold the TRIANGLE BUTTON then press the DIRECTIONAL BUTTON in
the direction of the base the runner currently occupies. For example, if a
runner is on first base, hold the TRINALGE BUTTON then press RIGHT on the
DIRECTIONAL BUTTON to steal second base. On Rookie and Veteran difficulty
settings, the runner will wait until the pitch is released before attempting to
steal. On All-Star difficulty level, the runner will break as as you press the
DIRECTIONAL BUTTON. You can hold the TRIANGLE BUTTON down, but the runner will
not steal until the DIRECTIONAL BUTTON is pressed (the DIRECTIONAL BUTTON
highlights the runner)
Using The Batting Cursor
The triangle-shaped batting cursor is there to help you get good wood the ball
and to aim your hits. The wide part of the cursor represents the sweet spot of
your bat, so that's where you want to make contact. Press either the
DIRECTIONAL BUTTONS or the LEFT ANALOG STICK to position the cursor. Press the
RIGHT ANALOG STICK to tilt the cursur to alter the type of hit. Tilting UP
will tend to produce grounders, while tilting DOWN will tend to produce balls
in the air. Tilt the cursor LEFT to hit the ball to the left side and RIGHT to
hit it to the right side.
-=Pitch / Location Guess=-
You can try to guess the pitch type and location before every pitch. Correctly
guessing the pitch type effects the size of the contact area; guessing the
location effects the size of the power area. There are eight possible location
guesses. Guessing a specific location will have more of an effect on the
hitter's icon than guessing a general location.
Control..................Action
Directional Buttons......Select Location
Square Button............Select Corresponding Pitch Type
Triangle Button..........Select Corresponding Pitch Type
X Button.................Select Corresponding Pitch Type
O Button.................Select Corresponding Pitch Type
L2 Button................When Released, pitch / location guess mode is
deactivated.
R1 Button................Select Corresponding Pitch Type
Up............Guess High
Up + Right....Guess Up & Away
Right.........Guess Outside
Down + Right..Guess Low & Away
Down..........Guess Low
Down + Left...Guess Down & In
Left..........Guess Inside
Up + Left.....Guess Up & In
(For Right Handed Batters)
-=Post-Pitch Select / Mid-Windup=-
Control..................Action
Directional Buttons......Move Batting Cursor / Comine with TRIANGLE BUTTON to
signal steal.
Left Analog Stick........Move Batting cursor.
Right Analog Stick.......Tilt Batting Cursor.
Square Button............Toggle Contact / Power Icon.
Triangle Button..........Steal Signal (+ base direction)
X Button.................Swing
O Button.................Drag Button
L1 Button................Increase all runners' leads.
R1 Button................Decrease all runners' leads.
-=Ball In Play=-
Control.................Action
Directional Buttons.....Indicate base for individual runner select.
Triangle Button.........Advance single runner when combined with DIRECTIONAL
BUTTON direction.
O Button................Return single runner when combined with DIRECTIONAL
BUTTON direction.
L1 Button...............Advance all runners.
L2 Button...............Stop all runners.
R1 Button...............Return all runners.
==================================
*** Section 4: Getting Started ***
==================================
These are the options that you will see at the All-Star Baseball 2003 main
menu.
Quick Play: Get right onto the diamond for a single game with computer selected
teams.
MLB Play: Choose Exhibition play, an All-Star Game, start a New Season or New
Series
and Manage Saved Games.
Expansion: Create your own expansion club in the city and league of your
choice, then
draft players and bring the club into season play.
Franchise: Follow one ball club over the course of up to 20 seasons as they win
and lose,
as older players move on and exciting new prospects join the club.
This is
tops for a long term loyalist as you guide your beloved franchise
across
generations.
Player Cards: Forget card shows! Now you can collect player cards right inside
the game by earning points for certain exploits.
Home Run Derby: Try your swatting skills with and against the best sluggers.
Special Features: Access batting practice, the new trivia game, team managment
functions
statistics, options, and game credits.
-=Pausing The Game=-
Pressing start pauses the game and brings up the pause menu where you can tune
some options depending on the mode. Press start and any time during play to
pause the game and bring up this menu.
Play Ball: Resumes the game.
Box Score: Views games box score.
Manage Bullpen: Put pitchers in the bullpen, and other pitching adjustments.
Change Lineup: Pinch runners, pinch hitters, changing positions, defensive
replacements and double switches.
Game Control: Change which human player controls which baseball player on
offense or defense.
Controller Select: Change the team you want to control.
Game Options: Adjust some in game options-
Easy Batting: On- No Cursor, Off- Cursor.
Pitcher Aid: On- White Pitching Icon Is On, Off- Icon Is Off
Strike Zone Aid: On- Rectangle Strike Box On, Off- Box Is Off
Fielder Control: Manual- You completly control fielders
Assist- Partial control
Auto- CPU has full control
Defensive Position: Choose Manual or Auto defensive positioning.
Leadoff Control: Auto mode CPU does the base leading.
Vibration Setings: Off/On
Generate Coung (Manage Only Mode)- On- computer auto generates
pitch counts
Game Speed- Normal or Fast (cut / speed up animations)
==================================================
*** Section 5: Expansion Mode / Franchise Mode ***
==================================================
Here is some more information on these two new modes in All-Star Baseball 2003.
-=Expansion Mode=-
Select a city, team name, team ballpark for your franchise club, and which
league it will belong to. Once that is done your team goes to a draft of
un-protected players from each club, you can then save your team and play up to
20 seasons with it.
-=Strategy=-
The biggest strategy here is the draft, which is simple. When you enter the
expansion team into the game, the computer adds a team to balance out the
schedules. So you are competing with them to get the best possible players. I
will list some of the top players in the draft, these are my opinions, and age
IS a factor (Name, Position, Ranking):
Nick Johnson, 1B, B-
John Vander Wal, 1B, C+
Travis Lee, 1B, C+
Adam Kennedy, 2B, C+
Marlon Anderson, 2B, C+
Randy Velarde, 2B, C+
Robin Ventura, 3B, B-
Edgar Rentaria, SS, C+
Tsuyoshi Shinjo, OF, C+
Rick Ankiel, SP, C+
James Baldwin, SP, C+
Sterling Hitchcock, SP, C+
Jeff D'Amico, SP, C+
Shigtoshi Hasagawa, RP, B-
Turk Wendell, RP, B-
Brandon Inge, C, C+
Ryan Kohmeier, Closer, C+
This group of players is a good start to get your Expansion team rolling.
(Tip from Inks71:)
After drafting, use free agent to swap some of your lousy players with higher
grade free agent. for example, swap a D player of yours for David Cone. You
might not want him because of his age, but you'll use his B- grade in trading.
Go to trade with CPU. Use 2 to 2 or 3 to 3 trade. For example, I get Mike
Piazza and 2 other C- or D players I really don't want from the Mets and give
up David Cone and some C Players or C+ player I have to the Mets. Then I swap
the lousy D or C Players I got from the trade with better player from the free
agent pool. Then go trade for Nomar, etc, etc.
-=Off Season Menu=-
After each year in Franchise/Expansion you get to join in the offseason, and
try to build up your team for next year, these are your options:
Record Holders: View top career and single season records.
Franchise History: View your teams history, team leaders and records, plus
others.
Retirement Announcments: See which players are calling it quits.
Hall Of Fame Inductees: After a few years, see what players go into the 'hall'.
View Roster: View current major and minor league players.
Player Development: View rankings and see if your players ratings go up or
down, and see point value and length of contract. You can
also cut players at this screen.
Free Agents: Sign some new players for your team!
-=Franchise Mode=-
Expansion and Franchise share the same concepts. When selecting a franchise
team, you can choose to start with a draft, or use the original rosters.
===================================
*** Section 6: Special Features ***
===================================
Here is a brief explanation on the new features (external modes) for All-Star
2003.
-=Player Cards=-
Use your points you earn during game play to "buy" a pack of cards. Each pack
comes with 6 cards including stadiums, jerseys, producers, and players.
-=Home Run Derby / Batting Practice=-
Self explanatory =)
-=Trivia Game=-
Trivia is a fun option with friends. You pick a team and try to answer some
pretty tough questions, and depending on who is "up" you can get a hit. If
your power hitters are up, you can even get a home run by answering the
questions right.
-=Create A Player=-
Create a player is in 2003 and it lets you build your own player. Created
players enter the free agency once completed. Here are the options for
creating a player:
Name, Jersey Number, Height and Weight, Bats and Throws Hand, Position
(positions determine attribute catagorys), Pitching Delivery, Batting Stance,
Skin Color, and Accessories.
Setting attributes is a customizable thing you can do. You can create a power
hitter, great fielder, or contact player. For pitching you can make the next
knuckleballer, or another fast change pitchers. To change the pitches press X,
then up and down.
-=Create A Player Stances=-
Some batting stances are only letters (example: TC), this section will be
trying to find out who exactly they are, if anyone knows email me. I'm not
positivie if any of these are right, merely a guess from the initals:
Batting
TC: Ty Cobb
PR: Pete Rose
SO: Sadaharu Oh (Japenese HR Hitter)
MM: Mark McGwire
JL: Jim Lyritz
GB: George Brett
DS: Darryl Strawberry
BR: Babe Ruth
AB: Albert Belle
Pitching
FV: Fernando Valenzuela
LT: Luis Tiant
SK: Sandy Koufax
WJ: Walter Johnson
-=Complete Player Card Checklist=-
Here is a complete list of the 312 Player Cards that there are to collect in
All-Star Baseball 2003:
1. Bobby Abreu
2. Edgardo Alfonzo
3. Roberto Alomar
4. Moises Alou
5. Brady Anderson
6. Garrett Anderson
7. Rick Ankiel
8. Tony Armas Jr.
9. Jeff Bagwell
10. Harold Baines
11. Tony Batista
12. Albert Belle
13. Carlos Beltran
14. Adrian Beltre
15. Kris Benson
16. Lance Berkman
17. Craig Biggio
18. Barry Bonds
19. Kevin Brown
20. Jay Buhner
21. Jeromy Burnitz
22. Pat Burrell
23. Ken Caminiti
24. Jose Canseco
25. Sean Casey
26. Luis Castillo
27. Eric Chavez
28. Jeff Cirillo
29. Jermaine Clark
30. Roger Clemens
31. Bartolo Colon
32. David Cone
33. Jose Cruz, Jr.
34. Johnny Damon
35. Eric Davis
36. Carlos Delgado
37. JD Drew
38. Ray Durham
39. Jermaine Dye
40. Jim Edmonds
41. Juan Encarnacion
42. Darin Erstad
43. Carl Everett
44. Steve Finley
45. Cliff Floyd
46. Brad Fullmer
47. Andres Galarraga
48. Freddy Garcia
49. Nomar Garciaparra
50. Jason Giambi
51. Brian Giles
52. Troy Glaus
53. Tom Glavine
54. Juan Gonzalez
55. Luis Gonzalez
56. Mark Grace
57. Shawn Green
58. Rusty Greer
59. Ken Griffey
60. Vladimir Guerrero
61. Tony Gwynn
62. Jeffrey Hammonds
63. Mike Hampton
64. Todd Helton
65. Rickey Henderson
66. Orlando Hernandez
67. Richard Hidalgo
68. Tim Hudson
69. Geoff Jenkins
70. Derek Jeter
71. Randy Johnson
72. Andruw Jones
73. Chipper Jones
74. Jacque Jones
75. Brian Jordan
76. David Justice
77. Gabe Kapler
78. Eric Karros
79. Jason Kendall
80. Adam Kennedy
81. Jeff Kent
82. Byung Hyun Kim
83. Ryan Klesko
84. Chuck Knoblauch
85. Paul Konerko
86. Barry Larkin
87. Carlos Lee
88. Kenny Lofton
89. Terrance Long
90. Javy Lopez
91. Greg Maddux
92. Edgar Martinez
93. Pedro Martinez
94. Tino Martinez
95. Ruben Mateo
96. Fred McGriff
97. Mark McGwire
98. Kevin Millwood
99. Ben Molina
100. Raul Mondesi
101. Mark Mulder
102. Mike Mussina
103. Trot Nixon
104. Hideo Nomo
105. John Olerud
106. Paul Oneill
107. Magglio Ordonez
108. Rafael Palmeiro
109. Chan Ho Park
110. Jay Payton
111. Andy Pettitte
112. Adam Piatt
113. Mike Piazza
114. Jorge Posada
115. Mark Quinn
116. Aramis Ramirez
117. Manny Ramirez
118. Pokey Reese
119. Cal Ripken
120. Mariano Rivera
121. Alex Rodriguez
122. Ivan Rodriguez
123. Scott Rolen
124. Tim Salmon
125. Curt Schilling
126. Richie Sexson
127. Gary Sheffield
128. John Smoltz
129. JT Snow
130. Sammy Sosa
131. Shannon Stewart
132. BJ Surhoff
133. Mike Sweeney
134. Fernando Tatis
135. Miguel Tejada
136. Frank Thomas
137. Jim Thome
138. Jason Varitek
139. Greg Vaughn
140. Mo Vaughn
141. Robin Ventura
142. Jose Vidro
143. Omar Vizquel
144. Larry Walker
145. David Wells
146. Rondell White
147. Bernie Williams
148. Matt Williams
149. Preston Wilson
150. Kerry Wood
151. Brent Abernathy - Rated Rookie
152. Cory Aldridge - Rated Rookie
153. Gene Altman - Rated Rookie
154. Josh Beckett - Rated Rookie
155. Wilson Betemit - Rated Rookie
156. Joe Crede - Rated Rookie
157. Jack Cust - Rated Rookie
158. Alex Escobar - Rated Rookie
159. Pedro Feliz - Rated Rookie
160. Nate Frese - Rated Rookie
161. Carlos Garcia - Rated Rookie
162. Marcus Giles - Rated Rookie
163. Alexis Gomez - Rated Rookie
164. Jason Hart - Rated Rookie
165. Adrian Hernandez - Rated Rookie
166. Eric Hinske - Rated Rookie
167. Cesar Izturis - Rated Rookie
168. Nick Johnson - Rated Rookie
169. Brian Lawrence - Rated Rookie
170. Steve Lomasney - Rated Rookie
171. Nick Maness - Rated Rookie
172. Jackson Melian - Rated Rookie
173. Jose Mieses - Rated Rookie
174. Greg Miller - Rated Rookie
175. Eric Munson - Rated Rookie
176. Xavier Nady - Rated Rookie
177. Blaine Neal - Rated Rookie
178. Abraham Nunez - Rated Rookie
179. Jose Ortiz - Rated Rookie
180. Jeremy Owens - Rated Rookie
181. Pablo Ozuna - Rated Rookie
182. Corey Patterson - Rated Rookie
183. Carlos Pena - Rated Rookie
184. Wily Mo Pena - Rated Rookie
185. Timo Perez - Rated Rookie
186. Adam Pettyjohn - Rated Rookie
187. Luis Rivas - Rated Rookie
188. Wilkin Ruan - Rated Rookie
189. Duaner Sanchez - Rated Rookie
190. Alfonso Soriano - Rated Rookie
191. Rafael Soriano - Rated Rookie
192. Ichiro Suzuki - Rated Rookie
193. Billy Sylvester - Rated Rookie
194. Juan Uribe - Rated Rookie
195. Carlos Valderrama - Rated Rookie
196. Eric Valent - Rated Rookie
197. Matt White - Rated Rookie
198. Mike Young - Rated Rookie
199. All Star Cheat
200. All Star Plate
201. Jeff Bagwell - Special Card
202. Tony Batista - Special Card
203. Barry Bonds - Special Card
204. Roger Clemens - Special Card
205. Carlos Delgado - Special Card
206. Jim Edmonds - Special Card
207. Jason Giambi - Special Card
208. Troy Glaus - Special Card
209. Ken Griffey Jr. - Special Card
210. Vladimir Guerrero - Special Card
211. Tony Gwynn - Special Card
212. Todd Helton - Special Card
213. Richard Hidalgo - Special Card
214. Reggie Jackson - Special Card
215. Dave Justice - Special Card
216. Harmon Killebrew - Special Card
217. Mark McGwire - Special Card
218. Roy Oswalt - Special Card
219. Rafael Palmeiro - Special Card
220. Mike Piazza - Special Card
221. Albert Pujols - Special Card
222. Manny Ramirez - Special Card
223. Alex Rodriguez - Special Card
224. Nolan Ryan - Special Card
225. CC Sabathia - Special Card
226. Mike Schmidt - Special Card
227. Gary Sheffield - Special Card
228. Tsuyoshi Shinjo - Special Card
229. Sammy Sosa - Special Card
230. Ichiro Suzuki - Special Card
231. Frank Thomas - Special Card
232. Jim Thome - Special Card
233. Robin Yount - Special Card
234. Astrodome - Classic Stadium
235. Classic Fenway - Classic Stadium
236. Classic Wrigley - Classic Stadium
237. Classic Yankee - Classic Stadium
238. Acclaim Sports Park - Classic Stadium
239. Enzo Field - Classic Stadium
240. Fischbach Field - Classic Stadium
241. Lockodome - Classic Stadium
242. Old Snavely Stadium - Classic Stadium
243. Whitaker Grounds - Classic Stadium
244. Zentmeyer Dome - Classic Stadium
245. Forbes Field - Classic Stadium
246. Polo Ground - Classic Stadium
247. Riverfront - Classic Stadium
248. Tiger Stadium - Classic Stadium
249. Brandon Adcock - Dingers (Developer Card)
250. Kevin Brinson - Dingers (Developer Card)
251. Randy Buck - Dingers (Developer Card)
252. Nigel Cook - Dingers (Developer Card)
253. Malc Crummack - Dingers (Developer Card)
254. Peyton Duncan - Dingers (Developer Card)
255. Nelson Everhart - Dingers (Developer Card)
256. Tim Flier - Dingers (Developer Card)
257. Tom Green - Dingers (Developer Card)
258. Bill Kydd - Dingers (Developer Card)
259. Matt Liverman - Dingers (Developer Card)
260. Andrew Locko - Dingers (Developer Card)
261. Wes Mailman - Dingers (Developer Card)
262. Mike Mann - Dingers (Developer Card)
263. Matt McEnerney - Dingers (Developer Card)
264. Shawn Nicholson - Dingers (Developer Card)
265. Dan Rubel - Dingers (Developer Card)
266. Cooper Sellers - Dingers (Developer Card)
267. Mike Skinner - Dingers (Developer Card)
268. PJ Snavely - Dingers (Developer Card)
269. Ryan Starr - Dingers (Developer Card)
270. Sarma Vanguri - Dingers (Developer Card)
271. Mario Ventrella - Dingers (Developer Card)
272. Rob Whitaker - Dingers (Developer Card)
273. Justin Withers - Dingers (Developer Card)
274. Tom Zentmeyer - Dingers (Developer Card)
275. Dingers - Teams
276. Pixels - Teams
277. Islanders - Teams
278. Rated Rookies - Teams
279. AL Legends - Teams
280. NL Legends - Teams
281. Wrinklies - Teams
282. Angels - Alternate Throwbacks
283. Astros - Alternate Throwbacks
284. Athletics - Alternate Throwbacks
285. Blue Jays - Alternate Throwbacks
286. Braves - Alternate Throwbacks
287. Brewers - Alternate Throwbacks
288. Cardinals - Alternate Throwbacks
289. Cubs - Alternate Throwbacks
290. Devil Rays - Alternate Throwbacks
291. Diamondbacks - Alternate Throwbacks
292. Dingers - Alternate Throwbacks
293. Dodgers - Alternate Throwbacks
294. Expos - Alternate Throwbacks
295. Giants - Alternate Throwbacks
296. Indians - Alternate Throwbacks
297. Mariners - Alternate Throwbacks
298. Marlins - Alternate Throwbacks
299. Mets - Alternate Throwbacks
300. Orioles - Alternate Throwbacks
301. Padres - Alternate Throwbacks
302. Phillies - Alternate Throwbacks
303. Pirates - Alternate Throwbacks
304. Rangers - Alternate Throwbacks
305. Reds - Alternate Throwbacks
306. Red Sox - Alternate Throwbacks
307. Rockies - Alternate Throwbacks
308. Royals - Alternate Throwbacks
309. Tigers - Alternate Throwbacks
310. Twins - Alternate Throwbacks
311. White Sox - Alternate Throwbacks
312. Yankees - Alternate Throwbacks
=================================
*** Section 7: Hints And Tips ***
=================================
According to the Manual, here are some tips:
-Make good use of the batting target. Angle the target up to hit a ground
ball, and tilt it down for a ball in the air. Remember the wide part of the
triangle represents the sweet spot of the bat. Line them up right and you'll
be crushing the ball.
-On the controller select screen you can switch team uniforms by pressing L1 or
R1+up or down on the directional buttons.
-Use future throws to make quick, seamless plays. The future throw buttons
must be pressed before a batted ball is fielded. Future throws can also be
used to field bunts, turn double plays, make relay thwos, and play balls hit
off of the outfield wall.
-Defensive positioning can prevent runs if you use it wisely. Even with the
defensive position opition turned on, the user can still override the CPU
decisions.
-Guessing the pitch type will affect the size of the contact icon. Guessing
the pitch location will affect the size of the sweet spot.
-A hitter's batting target will be affected by the opposing pitcher's
handedness. For some hitters, the differnce will be extreme, while other
hitters will have no differance at all.
-Drag bunts can be an effective way to get the runners on base. Sacrafice
bunts should be used to advance a runner to the next base.
-Use easy batting if you prefer not to use a batting target.
-When changing a team's pitching staff in the Set Pitching Staff Screen,
starters may be used as relievers and vice versa and the results will vary.
-Raising and lowering a Created Player's attributes will affect the stat lines
that are generated.
-Check Free Agent list in Seasons mode to see who has been dropped.
Memory Card: 1701 kb.
1-2 Players, 1-4 with multitap.
=====================================
*** Section 8: Offensive Strategy ***
=====================================
Obvisously, hitting is important. I am fond of the cursors, so I will use them
as my example. First, for righties, tilt the bat so it is pointing to
right-center field. Try to land the ball in the "sweet spot" of the bat, and
hope it doesn't get caught. If you can get that to work, the ball might sail
into the gap, and most of the time leading to a double. A good suggestion for
setting a batting order is this: #1 through #3 are contact, speed guys. #4
through #6 are your power hitters, and #7 and #8 are hopefully contact hitters.
This is so you can get your first 3 guys on base, then hit them in, and
repeat. Using the power cursor is an advantage when your batter has the
advantage. What I mean by this is: Bobby Abreu had a big cursor Vs. righties,
but when he is vs. a lefty, the power cursor is basically gone. Alright, now
to something a lot of people are having trouble on... hitting!! You don't get
much time to decide what to swing at, which is pretty realistic. You can try
to watch the ball coming from the pitcher (something I haven't tried) or just
hope you can guess right and get the cursor there. It isn't easy, but practice
and you will get it :).
Again, base running is easy too. When about to get to first, use L1 (send all)
to make him go for two. To send one runner, press triangle and the base he
occupies, I'm sure this is not a hard concept for us baseball fans ;).
=====================================
*** Section 9: Defensive Strategy ***
=====================================
This section discuss's the two most important defensive strategies: Pitching
and Fielding.
Pitching is very important in All-Star Baseball 2003, probably more than a lot
of other games I've played. If you think your #3-#5 are going to be able to
fly through the computer and rack up K's and if you think your lowly rated
bullpen is going to be able to hold them down, you got another thing coming.
ASB2003 takes advantages of any missed opportunities you give them like if your
pitchers stamina is decreasing, they will start swinging for the fenses. Your
pitchers best pitch is his X pitch (2nd is the pitch below it, third, fourth)
for some it is a slider, but for most its the fast ball. My big pitching
strategy was to send two fastball/change ups inside, and then try to nail a
slider or curve the other way. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Paint the corners, throw some low and away, or high and inside, keep the
batters head up, and randomize your pitches, and don't throw pitches in the
same location. I once gave up back to back to back home runs, all because I
threw 3 pitches that were in the same spot, and the same, since then I've never
done that again. Use the hot-cold zone to see which areas the batter has
trouble with (the blue) and which area the batters knock around a lot (the
red), and avoid them. Warm up relievers for 1.5-2 innings, the more the
better. The last thing you want is a relief pitcher coming in at a crucial
point, and blowing the game. Keep your head up, and never give up, I have
gotten out of bases loaded with 0 outs using smart game play.
As far as fielding goes, it isn't too hard. The future throw is VERY helpful
in stopping runnings, and double plays. Simply press the base you want the
ball to go BEFORE you pick it up... by learning this early, you will save a lot
of headaches and runs. As soon as you get the ball press L1 to throw it to the
relay man if you are unsure what to do. Get that ball to the infield as quick
as you can.
Here is a awesome guide dedicated just to pitching:
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/all_star_baseball_2003_pitching.txt
It's from Inks71, I suggest you guys that still need help in pitching check it
out.
==================================
*** Section 10: Extra Features ***
==================================
Some extra neat features some take for granted:
-Broken Bats... I love watching Lieberthal smacking broken bat HR's :)
-Weather. The weather effects the ball, and nothing beats playing a game in
the snow.
-Chicago Cubs fans throw visitor HR's back on to field.
-Over 70 Injury types.
-Computers steal bases. (Overall upgraded AI)
-Pitcher and batter ejections.
-Going....Going...Gone! Press L1 at the end of the day of games to see who hit
home runs that day and their current total!
-See box scores for any game!
-Wrinklies: Parody of Triple Play
-Pixels: Parody of High Heat
(credit due to Inks71 for these:)
-Accessories
-Broken Up Double Plays
-Comebackers off of the pitchers gloves
-Special stadium effects
-Slide step, pick off move out of windup
-Variety of 1st baseman catching animations
-Overthrows
-Pitching history (I love this feature :)
-Bare handed toss's.
-Intentional Walks, Dropped 3rd strikes
-Commentary (during replays, etc.)
Email me to add to the list (see contact below). I will add more later.
This is a list where you can find the "K"'s hanging in each stadium after a
strike out:
(Thanks to the people from the ASB GameFaqs board for helping me fill these in)
Anaheim- Left field, above bullpens
Arizona-
Atlanta-
Baltimore-
Boston- Center field wall, can be seen if ball is hit that way.
Chicago C- Left field
Chicago W- Left field wall
Cincinnati- Right field, upper deck
Cleveland- Right center field
Colorado-
Detroit-
Florida-
Houston-
Kansas City-
Los Angelse D-
Milwaukee-
Minnesota-
Montreal-
NY Mets- Left-Center, Picnic area
NY Yanks- Left field, upper-deck
Oakland-
Philly-
Pittsburg-
St Louis- Left field line, close to pole
San Diego-
San Fran-
Seattle-
Tampa Bay-
Texas-
Toronto-
==========================
*** Section 11: Review ***
==========================
Here is the review that I submitted to GameFaqs:
After hyping the game since the beginning of Feburary, I was excited when I
finally got the chance to sit down and play All Star 2003. The game made me and
my friend say ''wow'' after every new animation, and marvel at the gameplay.
Grahpics: 9. 2002 didn't have bad graphics, so 2003 follows that tradition. You
can now recognize your favorite star by looking at their face, instead of
trying to the look for the number. The fans look pretty good, and the stadiums
are amazing! In the stadium, you can see planes taking off in Atlanta, clouds
moving in during the day time, and neon K's when your ace pitcher strikes out
batters.
Sound: 10. Bottom of the 9th, 2 outs - the fans let you know this game is
close. My friend and I played such an intense game strikeout-catchup, the crowd
didn't stop their cheering from the 7th to the 9th. You hear the crack of the
bat, and can tell instantly how the ball was it. The occasional heckler in the
crowd is there too. The sound is just perfect.
Gameplay. 9. Most importantly, to clear anything up, on All-Star difficulty,
this years All Star baseball is not a home run contest. In my franchise I have
3 in 2 games, and I feel very lucky to have them, and the only reason I have
two is due to the fact of them leaving their pitcher in too long. Which brings
me to gameplay. Everything wrong with 2002 was fixed. So yes, no more backwards
throwing, the players catch the ball on the red star spot, and no more crappy
AI base running. The stamina bar is true to life in this years version, when it
starts to blink after their time, hitting is a little easier, and if they are
still in, you'll crank the homers off of them. I have also given up a couple
triples because of their agressive base running! The game also comes with a
speed option, to make the games quicker. I personally don't like this option,
but some find it very useful.
Modes: 10. Franchise, Expansion, trivia contest (very fun for two big baseball
fans), drafts, this game has it all. After a lot of exhibition, I played around
with the Expansion and Franchise modes, to observe the options, and alls I can
say, again, was wow. Records of every sort and kept, trades, farm team, the dl,
computer offered trades. It was very addicting to to be the GM and sim, seeing
if I could make it to the world series. You sign big free agents with points,
and after a few years, you will have to release some big players, because you
can't sign them anymore. It's very tough to keep A) the young up and comers, or
B) veteran power houses. The trivia contest is a external mode, where you and a
friend pick a team, and see who can answer the most hard questions. You score
runs depending on who is highlighted when you get a correct answer. Example is,
my friend got one right while Ichiro was highlighted for a double, I got one
right while Bonds was highlighted for a ''run'' or point. The trading card
touch is nice. I like after each game opening the packs, seeing if I can get
any extra cheats, or something for next time my friends show up
Rent/Buy: BUY!!. This game has so many new features, that it would take a long
time to be bored with them all. After playing a few games, try your luck at the
trivia mode, or become a GM and lead your team to the World Series. This game
has very accurate rosters (Feb 01) and is just an amazing experience, which
reminds me, why am I here, when ASB is in the other room!! Pick this game up
today!
Yeah, I was a little excited when I bought it =)
(You can read all my reviews on my Contributer Page, which can be found here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/16949.html)
======================================
*** Section 12: Cheats And Secrets ***
======================================
To use your cheat cards, at the controller select screen press one of the top
buttons to bring up a options menu where you can change the stadiums, and at
the bottom is an option for cheats.
I'm sure there will be more to come.
==========================
*** Section 13: F.A.Q. ***
==========================
Q: Has the pitcher stamina been fixed?
A: This year ASB 2003 seems to have nailed this, so it all depends on who you
are using and how good they are doing. I have pitched a complete game with
Brandon Duckworth, because I kept my hits and runs down, and when the stamina
was red and flashing, I moved the pitches around. Most starters can go 6-7
innings, and the game requires a strong pen to finish off the game.
Q: Is this game homer happy?
A: Any game is homer happy when you become a pro at it. On All-Star
difficulty, it is NOT homer happy. My team leader currently (15 games in) is
tied with Bonds with 8 each. This was corrected, and hitting is a lot tougher
than 2002. (I'm assuming you will all move to up the difficulty too ;)
Q: Have you heard, you can't save your rosters for exhibition?
A: Yes... I've tried to solve this, and haven't gotten it. Fortunatly, this is
something I don't really care too much about, but I know this is huge to some
people.
Q: Can you use created players in Franchise / Expansion teams in Franchise?
A: Yes to both.
Q: HELP!! Why is the computer subbing some of my players out?!
A: (From Page 18 of the manual) During Season Play, the CPU may alter the
pre-set lineups to give players rest days. You can void that by pressing L1 at
the controller select screen.
Q: How do you drag bunt?
A: First, make sure the cursor is on the ball, then press O when you would
normall press X, it's tricky, but if it works, can be very useful.
Q: How do I intentionally walk a batter?
A: Press "R3" then press X for Int Walk.
Q: Can more than one person control a team in Franchise?
A: No sorry.
AIM/MSN to start getting some questions up, I also check the ASB 2003 (ps2)
board daily, and will respond there, and add a lot of questions here too.
=========================================
*** Section 14: The Secret To "GMing" ***
=========================================
The franchise mode was a great addition for the "GMers" that like to see if
they can turn a losing team like Tampa Bay into a World Series winner. For fun
I will use my Philadelhpia Phillies. When you first go in, check the free
agents. I usually sign Jeff Shaw, David Cone, and Jose Canseco and release 3
lower guys. Some awesome guys to get while GMing are: Aramis Ramirez, Adam
Dunn, Albert Pujols, Ichiro, Rollins, and some others, back to the season.
This year I'm going after Ramirez in the beginning... the deal was Abreu,
Person, and Shaw for Ramirez, Kendall, and Wilson. Then I send Cone, Coggin,
and Santiago to Florida for Beckett, Clement, and some scrub :) After fixing
my line up, I sim 10 games, and go 5-5. I usually do a few weeks at a time.
Less than a week later, Canseco is out for 3-4 months with a broken knee cap,
cool huh? I press O so the CPU auto deals with it. Then come the trade
offers, the Blue Jays want Ramirez, and are trying to give up Jose Cruz, I
laugh as I press Ignore. The dodgers offer Shawn Green for Scott Rolen and I
accept (Ramirez can start 3B now) After a lot of injuries and offers, I check
my standings. 82-73, 1 game back with 7 days left..... I win the last two, and
get the wild card Vs. San Francisco. Well, I lost, but in awesome news, the
home run record was broke... someone hit 80... and it was none other than Barry
Bonds, now the real fun begins, the offseason. The free agency is tough, I
usually release all the lesser knowns to save points for the pricy players. I
have 107 points to sign 14 free agents, that's not too good, and I will
probably lose like 10 of them. Well, I will rebuild and send them again, and
hope I get farther, this is a very fun feature. If anyone wants to add
strategies here, email me, and I'll dedicate a little section here with your
name and strategy and let others read it. :).
So basically you try to get a lot of higher ranking people that you can trade,
get YOUNG guys, and have points for the off season.
In another franchise, that I actually worked on I went pretty far with people
like Dunn , Pujols, and Jimmy Rollins. I ended up winning the division for the
17 years in a row.
==============================================
*** Section 15: Credits / Contacts / Legal ***
==============================================
I'd like to give credit when it is due. GameFaqs is an awesome place to post
and talk with other gamers, no where else I'd rather talk games then here;).
Acclaim, you guys did a wonderful job in making All-Star baseball this year...
Congrats... Also want to thank P.J. Snavely, for taking time out and keeping
us informed on this years game, I know a lot of us appreciated that. Also a
thanks to Operation Sports (www.operationsports.com) for answering some
questions before the game came out, and keeping me humored, and I think they
are a fine site ;) I want to give a shout-out to the people from the ASB2003
board on GameFaqs, they've helped with a lot of this stuff.
Here are the ways of contacting me:
MSN Messenger: mcnabb_05@hotmail.com
AIM Messenger: iverson mcnabb 1
Email: Mcnabb_05@hotamil.com
This FAQ was written by me, with some help from the manual, and it is illegal
to post on any website without my permission. Copyright 2002 by the author,
me, and can not be reproduced without email me and asking. If you would like
this guide on your site, email me and ask politely, and I'll probably agree. I
will keep my version here at GameFaqs as up to date as i can. Thanks.
=============================
*** Section 16: Last Word ***
=============================
Well, it's finally done, my first F.A.Q. =) I didn't ever think that it would
be finished. Anyway, when All-Star 2002 came out last year, it was a good
game, but had a lot of flaws and glitches, and a lot of hardcore fans shunned
this game. Acclaim did a great job in fixing those, and adding all these new
features in the short time that they had from releasing ASB2002 for the Game
Cube to making ASB2003 for the Playstation 2 (and all next-gen consoles.) This
is the best console baseball game to date, and they really hit the nail on the
head this time. With minor flaws still there, and every mode conceivable, I
wonder how ASB 2004 can be any greater. If you guys have any questins, contact
me (see above), and thanks again for reading.
==========================================
*** Section 17: Site This Can Be Found ***
==========================================
GameFaqs: http://www.gamefaqs.com
Cheat Happens: http://www.cheathappens.com
Neo Seekers: http://www.neoseeker.com
Cheat CC: http://www.cheatcc.com
www.ps2domain.net
www.cheatportal.com
www.911cheats.com
www.911codes.com
www.fastcheater.com
www.25000cheats.com
www.skali.com